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Monday, July 23, 2012

Update On Mr. AOW

Considering how well we did on last week's museum trip and now that I've had my 1996 Crown Victoria repaired (To the tune of $2400!), we are making some resume-living plans. A police interceptor requires parts that are more expensive, but those parts last longer and can take a beating and keep on ticking.

We are making plans to use the Crown Vic's trunk to transport Mr. AOW's scooter.

The trunk of that car is HUGE! Gas mileage is decent: about 20 mpg if I don't drive like a raped ape. In addition, the cabin is big enough to take along plenty of luggage.

Once I learn how to disassemble and reassemble that scooter, we are hitting the road in the Crown Vic, now roadworthy after a few years of deferred maintenance. We haven't gone on a road trip since 2007, at first because Mr. AOW lost his job in January 2008 and later, of course, because of the brain hemorrhage that he had on September 15, 2009.

Mr. AOW and I are too young to sit around cooped up in this house and grow old without making some more memories.

We're going to try an overnight trip first to see how we do with a hotel room and a bed other than a hospital bed. He has enough walking capability to walk across a tiled bathroom floor; carpeting is problematic.

If the first trip goes well, we'll branch out to two-night trips before we try anything too far away.

Bunkerville & Conservatives On Fire,No question about it: this Crown Vic is the best car I've ever owned. It's a mule of a car, and I got it for a song, too.

Despite this recent expensive repair, over the years (1999-present), I've spent almost nothing on the car except for regular maintenance. However, the one nasty surprise I have had was a Ford flaw that Ford won't recall: the intake manifold. Same problem with the Mustang as well.

Most of my posts about Mr. AOW and the stroke that he had have been upbeat.

I haven't shared a lot of what went on here -- especially that first year.

Suffice it to say that the situation was hideous beyond anything that I imagined when I made the decision to take him out of the nursing home. Had it not been for The Merry Widow, a blogger who dropped everything and came here to help for a full six weeks (January 13, 2010-February 28, 2012), I would have collapsed. No exaggeration.

I will never get over (1) how family abandoned us and (2) how much my homeschool moms stepped up to the place.

One finds out who one's friends REALLY are when a catastrophic illness strikes. For a long time, the loneliness was devastating, and the future looked so bleak, so futile.

All of the above except for the Crown Vic were used cars purchased from private parties. I got the Crown Vic from a dealer who had purchased it in a county auction of police cars. I needed the trunk room in a Crown Vic as those 1985 Chrysler products did not have all that much trunk space.

If you haven't already guessed, Mr. AOW and I are life-long enthusiasts for car shows.

Good for you AOW and Mr. AOW. We never know what the future holds. One day we are healthy and able to do most anything we want, then wham! The next day something we never anticipated hits. Hubby and I have come to the same conclusion. We took a nice trip in the Spring, we have one planned next month, and are working on a trip for next year.

There are many benefits to this, planning so far ahead. If gives you something to look forward to. Also it gives you time to plan all the things you want to see and do when you get to your destination, and on the way there and back.

I am so very thankful today that my back is feeling better. I injured it two weeks ago and have had some really painful days. Hubby has been so sweet to do all the lifting, bending, going, shopping.

I've always been a person who doesn't want anyone doing anything for me if I can do it myself, and it has been a read learning period to realize that I have to just let some things go.

I thank God every day for my progress and pray that I will be able to do the walking and moving around required to enjoy our trip next month.

Hey that looks like my work car ! Actually mine is 2008 and it flies ! They are the best built cars hands down.Shame they quit making them. I would like to have MrAOW and yourself over for a Dinner sometime. Gonna be quite busy for the next couple months, or me and the fiance Could meet ya's as her parents have a cabin out near Berkeley Springs. My fiance is quite the girl, she's a tough Jewish girl and keeps me on the straight and narrow....well most of the time anyway......LOL !

Thank you AOW. Yes, I remember your terrible ordeal with your back. I hope you are doing OK. Be sure to be very careful and not re-injure yourself lugging around all your stuff, packing and re-packing.

Each day I am a bit better and so thankful. I thanks God for each step I can take.

Debbie,In my case, losing only 7 pounds really helped my back. Now I've lost 25 pounds and am MUCH better. I gained the weight because of Lyrica and immobility. The diet I went on is also anti-inflammatory.

That said, yesterday was bath day here for Mr. AOW. Even though I had a friend to do a lot of the work involved, I can feel my back being touchy today; my leg is tingly too. God is good, though: I see my neurologist today, and those visits to him are on a 6-month schedule. I have an idea about what he's going to say, but won't jump the gun on it -- except to say that to get my back to 100%, I'll likely have to have platelet rich plasma therapy. Sort tissue injuries are so difficult to treat! **sigh**

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